Street-car.



No. 861,700. PATENTED JULY 30, 1907. A. H. BATES.

STREET OAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1903.

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EV T t E I Q i PATENTED JULY 30, 1907.

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STREET GAR.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT.12,1903.

CCKCCC NITED ALBERT II. BATES,.OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STREET-GAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July so, 1907.

Application filed September 12. 1903- Serial No. 173,004.

To all whom il mny concern: Be it known that ALBERT H. Barns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have-invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Street-Cars, of which and the public,with the former on account of their large carrying capacity and speed of unloading, and with the latter because of their coolness and ventilation. They have many drawbacks however. First, from the companys standpoint there is the delay in loading after the car has become reasonably full. This is especially noticeable when the car stops for a ladypassenger. She must select, before she boards the car, the'particib lar seat she is to occupy. If the nearest seat is full she walks along the ground to the next, and then to the next and so on, frequently walking the whole length oi the car before boarding it. If the seats are all occupied the delay is still greater for then she is liable to wander back and forth several times in the endeavor to select the seat in which the men look most amiable and most liable to give up their seats, or at least in an attempt to avoid those seats where men are sitting who are fresh from some factory and whose garments would be liable to soil her gown. This delay occurring at frequent stops in the run aggregates a very considerable amount. During a rain storm the delay is still greater, for then the side curtains are down'and the passenger must raise a curtain, and if that compartment is-occupied she holds the car until she has tried another, and so on. The aggregate delay in the running schedule caused by these frequently occurring delays in loading reduces the number of car miles per hour, and it therefore requires a larger number of cars to accomplish the same transportation. From the standpoint of the conductor, the present system of cars with transverse seats entirely across the car is objectionable in that there is danger of his being knocked or thrown from the running board while collecting fares, by contacting with a vehicle on the street. It is diilicult for him to collect the fares and give transfers to the passengers at the extreme inner ends of the seats, and during a rain storm he may get very wet while performing this duty. These disadvantages have been so great that some of the street 'railway unions have demanded that an aisle be cut through the car for the benefit of the conductor. Finally, there are in the present style of cars above referred to, disadvantages to the passengers,and even the passengers have some rights which should be respected. Thus it is extremely disagreeable for the passengers to be continuously climbing over each other to get in or out. It is annoying particularly to a lady to have no means of rearranging her seat when the car is in motion, as, for example, when she has been uniortunate enough to obtain a seat next to a man who has too recently visited a saloon. Moreover after the car has been. crowded and passengers standing in some of the compartments, there will be vacancies in other parts of the car which the standing passengers cannot reach. Finally in a rain storm the condition of the passengers is disagreeable in the extreme; the rain spatters in around the curtains; curtains being down, passengers cannot see out to tell where they are, and when they come to get out the drippings from the raised ourtain fall on their garments or the backs of their necks. To overcome many of these disadvantages, cars are frequently made with an aisle through the center, there being a seat on each side for accommodating two persons. This, however, reduces the carrying capacity of the car about 20 per cent, and this method is not adapted in most places.

I have discovered that all the disadvantages can be overcome without materially reducing the seating capacity of the car, by forming a longitudinal aisle in the car near its inner side and placing one longitudinal seat, or row of seats, against the inner side and forming other seats crosswise to the outer edge. This makes one longitudinal aisle near the inner side of the car and numerous cross aisles, between the cross seats, extend ing theretoirom the running board. 'lhis'allows the space opposite the inner ends oi the cross aisles to he used for seats,these seats taking the place of the space which would be so used in an ordinary transverse seat, but has here been made into an aisle. The advantages of such a car are that the passengers may readjust themselves while the car is in motion so that a passenger may board the car without waiting to select an-unoccupied seat. There will not be the disagreeable feature of crawling over each other in getting out for there are two exits for every cross seat, 'one by means of the running board directly and the other from the other end of the seat through the longitudinal aisle. When the ear is crowded one definiteplace may be reserved for passengers entering, allowing them to take seats after the car has started. During a rain storm all the curtains may be continuously kept down, the passengers entering from the rear platform by means of the internal aisle. The conductor may collect his fares from the internal aisle.

My invention comprises a car thus arranged, comprehending broadly a longitudinal aisle nearer one side than the other, cross seats extending from the aisle to the outer side of the car and seats in a longitudinal row between the aisle and the inner side of the car and opposite the cross aisles between the cross seats.

The invention may also be summarized as consisting of a car constructed and arranged as herein show'n and described and as definitely set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved street car; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same showing the arrangement of seats; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the car: from the side opposite Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section showing another method of arranging the longitudinal seats.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the central or body portion of the car; A, A the front and rear platforms thereof. '0

B represents the steps or running board of the car located usually along the right hand side. On this side l-the car is open, the roof D being carried by vertical posts E as usual.- The left hand side of the car however is preferably of the closed pattern having longitudinal panels F- and above those, windows F which are The transverse seats in my car are designated G.

They extend crosswise of the car from the posts E, about three-fifths of the way across the car. Opposite the inner ends of these seats is a longitudinal aisle a connecting at one or both' ends with the platforms.

' Suitable sliding doors as H, H are shown as provided opposite the ends of this aisle. Between the aisle '0. and the inner side of the car is a singlelongitudinal row of seats either in the form of one long bench J as shown in Figs. 1 and 2-, or individual chairs J as shown in Fig. If chairs are used they are turned somewhat diagonally so that the feet of one passenger extends beneath the chair in front of him.

Whether the individual chairs are used or the long bench, there is, in either event, a single longitudinal row oiseats provided thereby between the longitudinal aisle and the closed side of the car, and in this row pascut out portion of the transverse seat. There being one less transverse aisle than seats, there would be alossby' this arrangement of seating space for one passe'ngerh This loss, however, is immaterial. Moreover in the form shown in Fig. 2 it would be overcome by the passengers sitting a trifle closer on the long through bench J.

I deem it advisable to leave an extra wide transverse aisle a at the center of the car for a general entrance and exit. The seating space which is lost by making this extra wide aisle is compensated for however, be-

'- cause the transverse seats accommodating but three people instead of five can be .placed closer together,

since the amount of crossing over each other which the passengers have to do is very much reduced. Instead of there being a passenger at the inner end of the comtplete transverse seat who would have to cross four sitting passengers to get out, it is only the intermediate passenger of the three on my cross seats who has to do any crossing and he need cross only one passenger, the one at each end of the seat, and that passenger has room to turn slightly endwise of the seat to allow the passage. I compute that the saving in width of the cross aisles a thus accomplished will allow for the extra wide center aisle a. without diminishing the number of seats from what they would be if theyextended the full width of the car. The extra space heretofore provided in the cross aisles is to allow the passengers to pass each other with more or less convenience, but it is unnecessary for comfort in sitting, as there is space under each seat for the feet of the passenger on the seat just behind.

The car constructed as above described has therefore substantially the same seating capacity as one of the ordinary type where the seats extend clear across. The

snain cross aisle a may be used for this purpose, being much more convenient for the standing passengers than where they stand within the cross aisles and not nearly so annoying to the seated passengers.

With the windows on the left hand side of my car lowered, the coolness and ventilation is substantially the same as with the ordinary car referred to. In case of a rain storm these windows may be raised and the floor. The car would thereby be practically as dry'as a box car and passengers would be able to see out through the windows, the entrance and exit being at such a time confined to the main cross aisle a or by way of the rear platform. The'amount of rain which will get into the car would be minimized as would also the delay in loading. K represents the rolled up curnow common in open cars. They are, however, preferably of such length that they may be drawn down entirely to the floor. In case of a severe storm or if it should suddenly become cold all the side curtains may be kept down and entrance and egress to and from the car provided by the rear door H and the rear platform.

tages of the open car with the continuous cross seats,

advantages of either type, while my car has in addition immunity from the disagreeable effects of wet weatherv I claim:

1. In a street car, a longitudinal aisle nearer one side than the other, longitudinal seating means between said aisle and the near side of the carand transverse seats bennl seating means having seats opposite the spaces between the transverse seats.

2. In a street our open at one side, a longitudinal aisle nearer the other side, transverse seats between said aisle and the open side and longitudinal seating means between said aisle and the other side.

3. A street car having an open side, transverse seats extending therefrom part way across the car, a longitudinal aisle within the cur nearer the other side thereof opposite the ends of said seats, and a cross aisle from said longituavailable space iorstanding room in case of emergencies is probably as great or greater and certainly much more satisfactory; for the longitudinal aisle a and the curtains on the opposite side drawn entirely to-the tain's which may be of any suitable form such as are.

It will thus be seen that my car has all the advanand the open car with a central aisle, withouttthe dis tween said aisle and the far side of the car, said longitudi-.

many advantages peculiar to itself, particularly in its I dinal aisle to the open side of the car, said cross aisle being wider than the aisle-space between consecutive trans verse seats. 4. A street car open at one side and closed at the other substantially a fifth of the width.

5. In a' convertible car, a permanently closed -side, seating means extending longitudinally along said closed side, a longitudinal aisle directly in front of the same and nearer said permanently closed side than the other side,

transversely disposed seats extending from the aisle to said other side of the car, and means for closing the last mentioned side of the car.

6. In a convertible car having a permanently closed side, a running board along the opposite side of the car, longitudinally extending seating means within the car upon the closed side. a longitudinally disposed aisle in front of the same. transversely disposed seats extending from the aisle to the other side of the car, and means for closing the openingsin the side of the car between the transverse seats.

7. The combination of a car having one permanently closed side, the opposite side being adapted to be open, sealing means extending along such permanently closed side and nearer said permanently closed side than the opposite side and adapted to seat a single longitudinal row of passengers, a longitudinal aisle in front of such seating -means, and short permanent cross seats extending from said aisle to the opposite side of the car.

8. In a car. the combination of a permanently closed side. means for seating passengers in a row with their backs to said side, a longitudinal aisle which said passengers face, and cross seats extending from said aisle to the open side of the car and adapted to carry passengers facing forward, said closed aisle being nearer the longitudinal side of the car than the open side. and there being a doorway at the rear end of said aisle.

9. A car having one side permanently closed, seating means extending longitudinally along-such side and facing toward the opposite side. the opposite side of the car havingvertical posts between which there are adapted to be open spaces and permanent cross seats extending from such posts to a longitudinal aisle which is nearer to the closed side of the car than to such posts.

10. A car having one side permanently closed, seating means extending longitudinally along such side, a longitudinal aisle in front thereof, the opposite side of the car havingwertical posts between which there are adapted to be open spaces, cross seats extending from such aisle to such posts. and means for closing theopenings'between the posts, which means are adapted to be raised into the space beneath the roof of the car over such openings.

11. In a street car, the combination of a body permanently closed at one side and adapted to have openings at the other side, a longitudinal aisle nearer the closed side, longitudinal seating means between such aisle and such closed side, a door at the rear end of such aisle, cross seats extending from such aisle to the open side of the car, posts opposite the ends of the scatsat such open side, and indi vidual means between said posts for closing such open side, said individual means being adapted to be carried when not in use abovethe entrance openings and being adapted to be drawn down betweenthe posts to the floor.

12. A car having one side permanently closed and the other side adapted to be opened, longitudinal seating means extending along said closed side, a longitudinal aisle in front of said seating means and nearer said permanentlyclosed side thanthe other side, and cross seats between such aisle and the open side of the car, saidlongitudinal seating means extending opposite both the ends of the cross seats and the cross aisle spaces between the cross seats.

13. In a street car, the combination of one permanently closed side a longitudinal aisle nearer such side than the other and having a doorway at its rear end, longitudinal seating means between said aisle and permanently closed side of the car and transverse seats between said aisle and the other side of the car, said longitudinal seating means having seats opposite the spaces between the transverse seats, said other side of the car having upright posts and removable means coiiperating therewith.

14. In a convertible car having a permanently closed side. a running board along the opposite side of the car. longitudinally extending seating means upon the closed side, a longitudinally disposed aisle in front of the same, transversely disposed seats extending from the aisle to the other side of the car, said latter side having posts, means for closing the openings between the posts, and a doorway with a door at the end of said aisle.

15. In a convertible car, the combination of one permanently closed side, seating means extending longitudinally along said side, a longitudinal aisle directly in front of the same, transversely disposed seats extending from the aisle to the other side of the car, and means for closing the last mentioned side of the car.

16. In a convertible car, the combination of a permanently closed side, a long bcnchwlthln the car running from end to end of it and extending along said permanently closed side, a longitudinal aisle directly in front of said bench, transversely disposed seats extending from the aisle to the other side of the car, and means for closing the last mentioned side of the cars 17. In a convertible car, the combination of one open side and one permanently closed side, a bench running from end to end of the car along said permanently closed side with a back toward said side, a longitudinal aisle directly in front of said bench, and transversely disposed seats extending from said aisle to the open side of .the car. In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT II. BATES.

Witnesses J. P. HULL, B. W. Buocxn'r'r. 

